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Monday, August 10, 2009

Before I start, I'm proud to announce that Bread + Butter now has a fan page on Facebook. So if you've got a facebook account, please don't be shy and become a fan. You can go to the page here or click on the Facebook icon button on the sidebar to the right after the About Me section.

Now, I guess I got you intrigued as what this dish was yesterday. I had gotten a some pretty good guesses, but none came close. Well...here it is. Eggplant patties!! I wanted to try a new way to eating them. I figured I can make some kind of veggie ball with them. Or I can go the usual route of pan-frying or roasting, but you've all seen that already. Then I thought of making them into patties of some kind. Yes, that's what I'll do. Veggie patties. Mashed them after a brief boil in some water, mixed in chopped onions, herbs, panko crumbs and an egg as a binder. The latter is optional for those who don't want egg in them. Made 4 sizable patties.

I grilled these patties babies on the George Foreman grill. It's the big old one before all the new grades they put into them. The one that's a pain the butt to clean sometimes. Here's a trick to get all that crud off. As soon as you take all the items off the grill and unplug it, run a damp paper towel up and down the grill. It removes the stuff instantly. It has to be hot still.

Anyway, you can bake these also, if you don't have a grill. I realized I didn't have any buns. Hmph! I guess I'll live without bread for one day. Eh, buns...we don't need no stinkin' buns! I ate them just the way they are. But I thought it wouldn't be complete without a creamy sauce. I mixed together a simple tomato sauce and mascarpone combination with a dash of dry herbs that I simmered for a bit to combine them then let it cool. Really good. A great match with the eggplant. The sauce can be used as a dip, too.

For the sauce:Combine all ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally. Cook for about 5 min, then transfer to a bowl.

For the patties:Put the eggplant in boiling water for 5 min until tender. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and into a large bowl.

Mash the eggplant. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add in the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg and panko. Mix well.

Divide into 4 patties.

To grill: depending on heat, grill patties for roughly 5 min per sideTo bake: In a preheated 350˚F oven, bake the patties for 15-20 min on a lightly greased baking sheet. Flip the patties half way to give an even browning.

I have not yet joined the ranks of the Facebook fan pages. I do have a personal FB account, but use it mostly for family/friends and personal stuff. Maybe I will eventually join the food bloggers on FB, too.

The eggplant patties sound delicious... I especially like the tomato mascarpone sauce!

These look really delicious. I have a love hate relationship with eggplant, but this looks like it would make me fall in love all over again:) I added you as a fan on Facebook. Make sure to fan Nutmeg Nanny too:)

I just made these for my family for dinner (I baked them), and EVERYONE LOVED THEM. I'm going to start making them in college, so easy, healthy and DELICIOUS. I'm going to link to your recipe on my new post...thanks : ) (keep them coming, girl!)

Haha...thanks for posting that tip on how to clean the original George Foreman grill. Maybe mine will come out of retirement now :)I'm printing out this recipe to make - I love anything with eggplant and this is so creative! And I had zucchini sticks on Friday at an Italian restaurant - deep fried/greasy, nothing like your healthy version!